I know
by HeroicBonnie
Summary: WW2 has separated the two lovers for 6 years, until one awful event brings them back together. But why is America so reluctant to see Italy? And why is Italy so determined to see America? Read to find out! AmeIta. AmericaxItaly.


**What happens when a writer has a dream about their favorite Hetalia character? This. You get this. ... K ENJOY. (ALSO, read the author notes at the end if you want some background info to this story)**

* * *

 _6 years, 5 months, 5 days, 8 hours, and 36 minutes since you joined._

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

His calloused hand grazed the dull, grey wall. It moved up and down, drawing random patterns on the cement surface. His once bright blue eyes, now dull and empty, stared at the man before him. He stared at him for a minute until looking back down at the wall where his hand was.

"I didn't want this."

Alfred looked at Ludwig, his face void of emotions and completely blank. Ludwig couldn't tell what he was thinking. It's been that way ever since Alfred got sent here. Alfred just shrugged his shoulders and looked at his hand that was still drawing patterns on the wall. "I know."

"I never wanted this to happen to any country. Or human."

"I know."

Ludwig bit his lip and stared at the once great and mighty America. He looked so broken, so small and vulnerable. It sadden Ludwig. It sadden him to see a great nation like America so… _helpless_. "I'm trying to get you out. Talking to my boss is like talking to a brick wall. He believes we can get your boss to surrender if we keep you here."

Alfred just chuckled. It was weak and bitter. "Of course he would think that."

The two stood in silence. Alfred stopped drawing patterns on the wall and just looked at the floor beneath him. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

"I mean it. I'm so sor-"

 _"Ludwig."_

Blue eyes met gray blue eyes. Alfred gave Ludwig a cold stare. Ludwig immediately stopped talking. "I know. I've always known. You're my friend Ludwig, I've never doubted you."

Ludwig's eyes widened and he stared at Alfred with gratefulness and confusion. "B-But… the things I've done-"

"The things your _leader_ has done. The things you've been _forced_ to do. Like I said I've never doubted you. Why do you think Wilson was so reluctant to sign the Treaty of Versailles? Who do you think first came up with the Dawes plan? I trust you Ludwig. Not your leader, not your people, not your army, _you_."

Shock filled Ludwig's mind. His enemy, _his 'prisoner'_ , trusted him. Alfred was defending him. He thought Alfred had given up on him the moment he joined the Axis Powers. That must mean…

"I've been looking after him."

Alfred looked back down at the wall. "I know."

Silence blanketed the room once again. His hand was preoccupied with drawing patterns on the wall again. Ludwig gave him a minute. He stared at the empty hallway before him. "How is he?"

"Good. Still cowardly and needs protection, but other than that, good."

"That's good."

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock_

"He misses you."

"…Really?"

His voice held uncertainty. His confidence wasn't so prominent anymore. Of all the things he questioned, it was this. It baffled Ludwig. "Of course he misses you. He talks about you all the time."

"I thought he would be mad at me."

"For what?"

"For joining the Allies."

Ludwig scoffed. "Feliciano? Mad at you? Please. If anything he was livid when he found out about Pearl Harbor. I thought he was going to rip Japan's head off."

Alfred chuckled. He couldn't imagine Feliciano ever doing that to someone, but he'll take Ludwig's word. He smiled at the thought of the Italian. When was the last time he smiled? He can't remember. "I miss him too."

"I know."

There was screaming at the end of the hallway, but they paid no mind to it. "Does he know?"

"Know what?"

"What happened to me?"

Ludwig stared at Alfred and shook his head, side to side. "I didn't tell him. He'd be heartbroken. He'd also want to see you. I couldn't tell him."

"Good. I don't want him seeing me like this."

"He's been asking questions."

Now it was Alfred's turn to be confused. "What do you mean?"

"Word gets out Alfred. There's been talk about your disappearance."

"Ludwig, _You can't tell him_."

Ludwig sighed. "I can't keep avoiding the topic."

"You can't tell him!"

"Why?! Why Alfred?! He's a big boy! He deserves to know!"

"BECAUSE I PROMISED HIM!"

He no longer felt weak. He was on his feet, gripping the metal bars so tightly his knuckles turned white. The dullness in his blue eyes were fading. A flare of anger was shining in his eyes. Sadness was soon drowning the anger. His blue eyes were flooding with tears.

"What?…"

Alfred fell on his knees and covered his eyes with his hands. He wiped away the tears but new ones kept falling in their place.

"Before the war, I promised him I'll be fine. That I would be strong for the both of us and wouldn't get hurt. He can't know where I am Ludwig. He'll want to see me. He can't see me like this. It'll _crush him_."

"Alfred-"

"Please Ludwig. He knows about Auschwitz. He knows what they do here. I can't… I can't have him come here. I can't put him in danger like that. I just… I can't…"

His sobbing sounded pathetic. His body was in pain from all the movement he did before. His heart was hurting more. Ludwig bent down and stared at Alfred's curled in body. He understood why Alfred didn't want to tell Feliciano. He truly did. "I'll try not to tell him. But I can't protect him from the truth forever Alfred. Neither can you."

"I can try."

Ludwig grabbed onto the metal bars separating him from the American nation. "He will find out. He's always asking about you. He loves you Alfred."

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock_

"I know."

* * *

 _6 years, 7 months, 22 days, 10 hours, and 23 minutes since I left you._

"NO! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO SEE HIM!"

"Feliciano please calm down!"

"NON DIRMI DI CALMARMI!"

Kiku sighed and gave up. Ludwig held onto Feliciano tighter. The little Italian was quite strong when angry. He swung his arms and legs everywhere, struggling to escape Ludwig's grip. "FELICIANO PLEASE! YOU CAN'T SEE HIM!"

"HE NEEDS ME LUDWIG! I HAVE TO SEE HIM!"

"HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE HIM!"

Feliciano froze. His eyes wide with terror and face shiny with tears. "W-What…?"

"He… He told me he doesn't want to break his promise."

Feliciano turned around and stared at Ludwig. His body was shaking.

 _"I'll be fine Feli! This war won't hurt me, I promise."_

"H-He remembered…?"

"He did. He believes he broke his promise. He didn't want to break your heart."

Feliciano closed his eyes. He didn't know what to think. He felt angry that Alfred didn't want him to know. He felt sad that Alfred was being put through this. He felt happy that Alfred still cared about him so much. He's being tortured and beaten almost every day and he's worried about Feliciano's safety. Feliciano smiled because _Yup, that sounded like Alfred._

Tears spilled out of his eyes and sadness overcame him. He walked over to Ludwig and placed his fist against the German nations chest. His head was hung low and whimpers kept escaping his mouth. "I need to see him Ludwig."

"But Feli-"

"I don't care about the promise. I don't care about what he wanted. War or not, he's still my husband. I married him for good or bad and I want to be there for him during his bad. I need to be there for him."

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

"He's free."

"What?"

"My boss gave me the command to set him free. I'm going to let him out today."

Feliciano smiled and ran to grab his jacket. "Well? What are we waiting for? Andiamo!"

* * *

"Wertlos Amerikaner!"

"Das arme Ding schreit!"

"Erbärmlich wenig Scheiße!"

Another kick to the ribs. Another punch to the face. Alfred was already use to this kind of treatment here. He held his stomach and coughed. Blood poured from his mouth and he groaned in pain. The soldiers around him kept laughing.

"HÖR AUF!"

The soldiers froze. They turned around and saluted their commanding officer. Ludwig stood tall while Feliciano stood behind him in hysterics. "Schritt weg von ihm! Gehen Sie auf Ihre Beiträge!"

"Ya Vol!"

The three soldiers scampered off. Ludwig sent a glare towards each of their directions. He looked down at Alfred and sighed. "ALFIE!"

Feliciano ran towards his husband and kneeled down. He picked up Alfred's head and laid it on his lap. Alfred groaned in protest. "F-Feli, what a-are you doing h-here?"

"I came to see you."

"B-But I told Ludwig I-"

"He told me. Alfie, I don't care about the promise. I don't care that you broke it. I care about you. I care that you got captured and were sent here. You were hurting, and I needed to see you."

He laid his forehead against Alfred's and closed his eyes. His hands were cupping Alfred's cheeks. He used his thumbs to sooth his bruised cheeks. "Ludwig's boss set you free."

"W-Wha..?"

"Ludwig got you set free. We're here to get you out of this horrible place."

Alfred smiled. He lifted his left hand, with difficulty, and placed it on top of Feliciano's. His fingers brushed against the golden band on his ring finger. "You're still w-wearing it?"

"Of course. I never took it off."

He furrowed his eyebrows in worry when noticing Alfred's left hand was bare. "Were is yours?"

Alfred reached up and grabbed a metal chain that was around his neck. His wedding ring was placed around the chain. "I-I had to hide it. Don't ask how I did. Once i-it was safe enough, I put it around this c-chain I found and hide it b-beneath my shirt."

Feliciano smiled and reached up to unhook the chain. He took it off and grabbed the golden ring, placing it on Alfred's left ring finger. He lifted his hand to place a kiss on the ring. "Are you mad at me?"

"I was never mad at you amore."

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock_

"I still love you Alfred F. Jones."

 _"I know."_

 _6 years, 9 months, 11 days, 15 hours and 17 minutes since I've seen your beautiful face._

 _"I still love you too Feliciano Jones."_

* * *

 **A/N: OMG WHY DO I WRITE SUCH COMPLICATED/SAD STORIES?!**

 **Translations:**

 **(Italian) Non Dirmi di calmarmi- Don't tell me to calm down**

 **(Italian) Andiamo- Let's go**

 **(German) Wertlos Amerikaner- Worthless American**

 **(German) Das arme Ding schreit- Poor thing is crying**

 **(German) Erbärmlich wenig Scheiße- Pathetic little shit**

 **(German) HÖR AUF- Stop**

 **(German) Schritt weg von ihm. Gehen Sie auf Ihre Beiträge- Get away from him. Go back to your posts**

 **(German) Ya Vol -Yes sir**

 **I'm like, 99.9% sure that all those translations are wrong or somewhat off. Blame google translate, I only speak english.**

 **OK BACKGROUND INFO TIME!~ (optional)**

 **I have like, a whole backstory to this that I didn't write it basically because it wouldn't be that interesting and is mostly just historical stuff.**

 **I imagine Italy and America started hanging out during the 1920's, after WW1, when Italy switched sides and him and America started becoming chummy with each other. The 1920's was a GREAT time to be alive in America, and America and Italy took advantage of this. They dated, they married(around 1927 in my mind) and lived together for a while. Italy liked going to America's home since everything was literally booming and everyone was having fun. Then the depression hit and Italy left for while, bouncing back and forth between his home and America's. Soon, Mussolini finally joined the Axis (1937) and Italy wasn't allowed to see America. Sad babies :'(**

 **They don't see each other for 6 years (which represents the 1st date in my story which is around May 1943). America gets captured by Nazi soldiers and is sent to Auschwitz (the most brutal concentration camp in WW2, it being responsible for about 1 million out the 6 million Jewish lives that were lost) where he is tortured almost every day by soldiers. Italy finds out about his husband's capture 2 months later (my second date in the story which is around July of 1943). ANOTHER 2 months pass and America is OFFICIALLY released from the camp (the third date, September of 1943) and they reunite after being separated for almost 6 years. Side note: Italy left the Axis around September/October of 1943 and joined the Allies not to long after.**

 **So as you can see, I thought a lot about this one-shot.**

 **Why didn't I make this a longer story? Because all that was just BACKGROUND INFO to an ACTUAL STORY. The story is the important part, the background info just ties it all together. I figured I write the info here since I thought about it a lot. Some things are historically accurate, some are just my own little plot twists** **(ಠヮಠ)**

 **Feliciano _Jones_... Imma go cry for a minute excuse me...**

 **I won't bore you anymore with my rambling. Peace out eagle scouts! -Ash xx**


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